Unable to choose between art and science, Rachel Cramer pursued a degree in biological and pre-medical illustration at Iowa State University. She trained in traditional illustration mediums like graphite, ink and oil paint, but an internship in the exhibition department at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City introduced her to a variety of materials and techniques to create three-dimensional figures. Her professional experience has focused on sustainable agriculture and science communication and she continues to produce art. While working at the Science Center of Iowa, she created a series of wildlife illustrations for an educational dome theater program called Bump in the Night, and during her Princeton in Asia Fellowship in Sri Lanka, she designed numerous infographics and posters for the International Water Management Institute. She is currently working on a master’s degree in environmental studies and freelancing on the side.
As a National Park Service ranger, Mark Kaufman educated a curious public about natural wonders and culturally significant places like Katmai National Park, where brown bears outnumber people, or Alcatraz Island, where a century-old prison sits atop a Civil War fortress. Ensuring that masses of humans did not collide with summer bears was certainly an important duty, however, Kaufman’s interest in natural education graduated to journalism, and today he finds himself in New York University’s science, health and environmental reporting program. He writes about planetary science, space, culture and evolution. Kept busy by a world burgeoning with scientific novelty and an Earth that refuses to stop evolving, Kaufman plans to develop stories and documentaries about these topics for many more rotations around our star.
Andy Long is an award-winning photographer and writer with more than 35 years of experience. Having started shooting sports at newspapers and magazines, he has concentrated on wildlife and outdoors for about 27 years. He is a columnist for Nature Photographer magazine and a featured writer for apogeephoto.com. He has written several e-books and currently has a book on the northern lights in the printing process. His photography has graced the pages of many magazines, books and calendars covering a wide range of topics and locations around the world. As a leader of international photo workshops since 1992, he likes to introduce photographers to new and interesting places, passing on what makes the place so special and what challenges it faces. His programs stress wildlife and landscape diversity and how people can help protect these special areas.
Skip Stover is a newcomer to the outdoor writing community. He recently enrolled in The North American School of Outdoor Writing. Stover holds degrees in administration of justice and parks and recreation. He’s worked as a salmon charter boat deckhand and as an elk field rehabilitation specialist, experiences which add to his writing. While spending 36 years as an adult probation officer, Stover cultivated his love of the outdoors by spending many hours on the water, in the field and applying his knowledge to valuable endeavors. Stover wrote the first court-implemented probation conditions for big game violators and videotaped night deer decoy surveillance for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. He’s guided hunting trips for 12 years for Hidden Ranch Outfitters. ♦
Welcome to OWAA
